Day Zero

Today is Day Zero, the day that Mexico City was supposed to run out of water.  However, the water is still running from the taps.  I took a shower and washed breakfast dishes as normal.  Surely, Day Zero has been delayed because the rainy season is clearly here.  Ever since Tropical Storm Alberto hit the Gulf Coast of Mexico six days ago, we have had rain every day.  In the last week 4.5 inches of rain have fallen on Mexico City.  As I write this at 2:30 P.M. the skies are cloudy, and thunderstorms are forecast to arrive within an hour.  The rain is expected to continue until 9 P.M.

That is not to say that we are out of the woods.  The reservoirs such as Valle de Bravo, two hours to the west of the city, are still at record low levels.

(image taken from the internet)

Some say that it will take years of normal precipitation to bring these lakes back to their normal levels.  However, the heavy rainfall in California due to "El Niño" replenished their reservoirs in a year.  We are now entering "La Niña" which is forecast to bring above average precipitation to Mexico.  Hopefully "La Niña" will do for Mexico what "El Niño" did for California.